


Madness

by Keleficent



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Episode: s03e06 Gem Drill, Fluff, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-06-08 03:59:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6838210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keleficent/pseuds/Keleficent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Logically, she had no reason to want Steven around. He had done nothing but bring madness into her life. But any attempt her mind made to rationalize this was drowned out by one sentence. (Takes place during Gem Drill).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Madness

They were too late. The cluster was taking form. Peridot was going to be destroyed, but self-preservation was not the primary source of her distress. She was fearful, yes, but she was also remorseful. She failed to save the Earth. She failed to save the Crystal Gems. More importantly, she failed to save Steven, and she was so sorry.

Peridot asked him if he had any last words. He deserved one last chance to berate her for letting him down. His choice of words dug far deeper into her than any words of denunciation.

“I love you, Peridot.”

Logically, Steven should feel resentment to Peridot for allowing the destruction of everything he cared about, but Steven has never been logical. His actions were fueled by emotion or, as Peridot would call it, madness. He spread that madness to her. She wouldn’t be here if she had simply sold out the Crystal Gems to Yellow Diamond.

As Steven held on to her, she couldn’t bring herself to regret her decision. She would rather face certain death as Steven’s friend than live thousands of years as Yellow Diamond’s servant.

“Wow. Thanks.”

The cluster was having trouble forming. They could still succeed.

But Steven was in pain. His pain seemed to get worse the deeper she went, as though he were the one being drilled into. But she knew she had to keep going.

Until Steven collapsed. The controls were abandoned, the mission forgotten. All that mattered was Steven was hurt. She asked him what was wrong, but he couldn’t give her a comprehensible answer. His eyes rolled in the back of his head and his body went limp.

Peridot screamed at him and shook him, but he remained unresponsive. He’s not dead. He couldn’t be dead. Stopping the cluster and living to see another day would be meaningless if her friend wasn’t by her side when it was all over.

Thank the stars, Steven woke up. Much to her amazement, he also stopped the cluster. While Steven reported to the Crystal Gems what he had done, Peridot contemplated her own actions.

Since befriending Steven, her survival instinct became secondary to protecting him and his world. Logically, she had no reason to want Steven around. He had done nothing but bring madness into her life. Any attempt her mind made to rationalize this was drowned out by one sentence.

_I love you, Peridot._

She wouldn’t trade him for the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a review. It is only logical.


End file.
